From rinehuls@Radix.Net Fri Sep 10 00:27:21 1999 Received: from mail1.radix.net (mail1.radix.net [207.192.128.31]) by dkuug.dk (8.9.2/8.9.2) with ESMTP id AAA07448; Fri, 10 Sep 1999 00:27:21 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from rinehuls@Radix.Net) Received: from saltmine.radix.net (saltmine.radix.net [207.192.128.40]) by mail1.radix.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with SMTP id SAA29262; Thu, 9 Sep 1999 18:27:50 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 18:27:48 -0400 (EDT) From: William Rinehuls To: sc22info@dkuug.dk cc: keld simonsen Subject: N2994 - SC22/JSG Convener Report - PLENARY AGENDA ITEM Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII _______________________ beginning of title page _________________________ ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22 Programming languages, their environments and system software interfaces Secretariat: U.S.A. (ANSI) ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22 N2994 TITLE: SC22/JSG Convener Report for the September 1999 JTC 1/SC22 Plenary - PLENARY AGENDA ITEM DATE ASSIGNED: 1999-09-09 SOURCE: Secretariat, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22 BACKWARD POINTER: N/A DOCUMENT TYPE: SG Convener Report PROJECT NUMBER: N/A STATUS: Discussion of this document will be an agenda item for the September 1999 JTC 1/SC22 Plenary ACTION IDENTIFIER: FYI DUE DATE: N/A DISTRIBUTION: Text CROSS REFERENCE: N/A DISTRIBUTION FORM: Def Address reply to: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22 Secretariat William C. Rinehuls 8457 Rushing Creek Court Springfield, VA 22153 USA Telephone: +1 (703) 912-9680 Fax: +1 (703) 912-2973 email: rinehuls@radix.net _____________ end of title page; beginning of report __________________ Annual Report Java Study Group (JSG) Convener and ECMA Liaison To ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22 September 9, 1999 I apologize for being so late with this report. I will not be able to attend the SC22 Plenary in Berlin. I will be teaching a graduate course in Programming Languages (as if I knew anything on that topic) at Ohio State and the term will have begun by then. I am anticipating I will have to miss some class(es) later in the fall because of Java standardization meetings. Recommendation: I think the Java Study Group (JSG) should be continued for another year. As a study group it exists only year-to-year and will have to be renewed at the upcoming SC22 Plenary. I do not think this is a controversial suggestion, but national groups need to consider it and support the suggestion. I am willing to continue to serve as Convener. The JSG has operated in a flexible and open way. We should continue in that open manner. Although things have been quiet recently, I expect discussion will increase as the ECMA work proceeds. JSG Meeting in Japan Since the last SC22 Plenary, the JSG held one meeting - October 26-27, 1998, in Tokyo, Japan. Only delegations from the US and Japan were able to attend. Recommendations and documents from that meeting are available on the JSG web site (http://www.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc22/jsg) (for which we continue to thank Keld Simonson and the Danish Unix Users Group). As to the first recommendation from that meeting, that the Convener establish a closer liaison with Sun Microsystems, it is Sun that has resisted closer cooperation. The other recommendations all indicated (as have other previous resolutions) that the JSG is willing to work with Sun in whatever ways are useful to produce an acceptable standard as quickly as possible. Sun Turns to ECMA A few months ago, Sun's PAS submission was stalled and I felt that nothing was happening with Java standardization and that maybe SC22 we should drop the topic until something happened. Now that Sun has proposed the work to ECMA and they have accepted it, something is happening (see http://www.ecma.ch for current status information). ECMA has established TC-41 and plans a first meeting for October (after rescheduling from August and September). I plan to attend. After that it may be appropriate for national committees to consider reactions or suggestions in an informal way. At least one national committee has been encouraging their ECMA and non-ECMA members to work together on some issues. Standards groups from two different countries have approached ECMA to consider some way they can participate directly in the work of TC-41. Many of the participants in JSG represent companies that are members of ECMA and could serve as an additional communication channel. I don't know what TC-41's schedule may be, but I don't expect ECMA to take any action at their December 1999 and maybe not even at their June 2000 General Assembly meeting. Eventually ECMA will submit their Java standard to ISO/IEC JTC1. SC22 should be prepared and that is a role for JSG. Once the issue is out for JTC1 ballot, subordinate groups like SC22 and JSG would not be able to hold meetings on the ballot topic. I think it would be appropriate for the JSG to hold a meeting before the formal ballot in early 2000 to discuss the work of ECMA TC-41 and what reaction would be appropriate from SC22. The JSG had a similar role in the consideration and approval of the ISO/IEC standard for ECMAScript. There are a number of issues from the previous PAS related discussions. The evolution/maintenance issue must still be a concern. With previous ECMA standards that have come into SC22, we have taken different approaches. For example, SC22 set up a working group for PCTE but left ECMAScript to the originating ECMA TC-39. There will probably also be specific technical issues, decisions about the scope of the standard, relationships with other programming languages and programming environments, conformance testing, internationalization, and other topics where SC22 participants have considerable experience. SC22 will also have to consider how Java work will fit in with its other work on programming languages. I have also served as a liaison to ECMA from SC22. I and expect that to continue, but I think it's important for a larger and more representative group to meet, consider, discuss and recommend actions to SC22 with respect to the eventual consideration of a Java standard. Other ECMA Activities ECMA is very open about their activities and maintains a web site (http://www.ecma.ch) from which people can download ECMA standards without cost. In particular, ECMA has approved a new standard (ECMA-290) for ECMAScript Components. Summary I think the JSG should be continued for another year. I am willing to continue as the Convener. I am also willing to continue as the SC22 liaison to ECMA. I plan to attend the ECMA TC-41 meeting in October. The JSG should consider a meeting in early 2000. Bob Mathis Convener, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22 Java Study Group _________________________ end of SC22 N2994 ______________________________